Quick Takes: Van Halen, Robert Plant & Donovan, Bono

During a recent chat on SiriusXM's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, Sammy Hagar commented on Wolfgang Van Halen's remark that Van Halen was too dysfunctional to play a tribute show for Eddie Van Halen. Blabbermouth transcribed Hagar explaining, “Alex Van Halen and I don't talk. . . I reached out to Alex again recently. Mikey (Anthony) had a sad thing happen in his family, and I reached out to Al, and he wouldn't return my call or my e-mail. And so I said, 'You know what? F*** it.' It's not on the top of my list, my agenda. I think Eddie deserves, definitely, a tribute. . . And the whole world would show up and the whole world would do it. I don't know why people put it on (David Lee) Roth. I don't talk to Dave. And if he did it, he'd wanna do it without me. I'm sure that's part of the dysfunction that Wolfie's talking about.”
- Hagar went on to say: “I'll make a statement that I don't know is true or not, but what do you wanna bet that he goes, 'I will only do it if Hagar's not there.' And if that were the case, that's typical Roth, and that's part of the dysfunction. It's not like he controls it; it's just (that) he doesn't play well with others. And like I said, if Alex came to me and wanted to do it, I'm in. Absolutely — let's go (and) do it somehow. But Alex has got a stick up his ass about something with me still, and he's gonna take it to his grave, I guess. (I made peace with Eddie before he died but) I don't think I made peace with Al. And I don't think I'm going to unless he reaches back out to me. I've done it about five times now.” (Blabbermouth)
Donovan joined Robert Plant and his band Saving Grace on stage on November 3rd to perform his 1966 autumnal classic “Season Of The Witch.” Donovan, who enlisted the help of a pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page during his legendary '60s sessions, hopped on stage at Ireland's Wexford Spiegeltent Festival to perform the Sunshine Superman favorite. Plant and his band have been also performing the Donovan standard, “Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)” during their recent shows. (Ultimate Classic Rock)
Bono kicked off his musical and aural “Stories Of Surrender” book tour on November 3rd at Manhattan's Beacon Theatre. The 14-city trek is in support of his new memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story.
The U2 frontman, who interspersed a handful of songs between his chat, was backed by cellist Kate Ellis, harpist Gemma Doherty and producer Jacknife Lee. He joked, “I’m never without my band. But I have their permission for one night.” Among the notables in the audience were audience that included former President Bill Clinton, Tom Hanks, Katie Holmes, Ed Burns and Christy Turlington. (USA Today)
- Bono's North American 'Surrender' book tour dates (subject to change):
  November 4 – Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre
  November 6 – Toronto, ON – Meridian Hall
  November 8 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre
  November 9 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
  November 12 – San Francisco, CA – Orpheum Theatre
  November 13 – Los Angeles, CA – The Orpheum Theatre